STRENGTH AND RELIABILITY OF CHEMICALLY BONDED ROCK CLIMBING ANCHORS IN SANDSTONE

UNDERGRADUATE HONOURS THESIS 2003 BY STEPHEN HAWKSHAW
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING - The University Of Sydney

Download the PDF Document (2 Meg) for the complete thesis. An extract is below.

Recommendations and Conclusion
From the testing program the following recommendations for chemically bonded rock climbing anchors in sandstone have been formulated:

• Bolts should be fully threaded to ensure there is adequate area for the adhesive to infiltrate.

• Epoxy adhesives should be used to maximise the possible strength of an anchor.

• When installing anchors, observations of the glue colour and texture should be made to ensure the correct mix has been administered.

• Hangers, rated 22-25kN, are the weakest point in an machine bolt anchor system. They should not be placed in situations where large tensile forces will be applied to them.

• U-bolt shaft spacings should be no less than 45mm.

• U-bolts used close to each other as lower offs or belay anchors should be spaced approximately 200mm apart. This is due to the large amount of influence they have on the surrounding rock.

Above Right: Test rig setup for tension testing. Photo By STEPHEN HAWKSHAW.

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